Doctors Without Borders closes Ebola management center in Liberian

March 27, 2015 2:38 am

MONROVIA, March 26 — The international medical organization, Doctors Without Borders or M¨¦decins Sans Fronti¨¨res (MSF), has closed its Ebola management center in Liberia due to the decreased number of Ebola cases in the country, it said on Wednesday.

A statement from MSF says the organization is preparing to hand over the facility to the Liberian Ministry of Health which will run the center as a temporary treatment unit.

"With a capacity of 250 beds at the peak of the outbreak in September-October 2014, ELWA 3 Management Center is the largest Ebola treatment center ever built," the statement said.

The statement says currently there is only one confirmed Ebola patient in Liberia while the hand-over of ELWA 3 does not represent the end of MSF's engagement in Liberia's fight against Ebola.

"We know that we have not reached the end of the fight against Ebola in Liberia. Nevertheless, we are pleased with the positive results that the country has achieved in turning the tide against the virus. But we remain vigilant with a confirmed case in the country and many contacts to trace and monitor," says Mariateresa Cacciapuoti, MSF Emergency Coordinator in Liberia.

"We must adapt our operations to the evolution of context," Cacciapuoti said, adding "we continue to be vigilant and ready to respond in case the number of Ebola cases rises again and we also must reinforce access to medical care for non-Ebola patients."

The statement says MSF's health promotion and outreach activities will continue. A rapid response team is active and ready to react at national level in case of a resurgence of the virus.

MSF is supporting 17 health facilities in the capital Monrovia and training their staff on infections prevention and control, the statement says.

Since its opening in August 2014 until March 2015, a total of 1,917 patients were admitted to ELWA 3, of which 1,234 tested positive for Ebola, according to the statement.

Of these confirmed patients, a total of 801 died and 512 recovered. (PNA/Xinhua)